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Greece's legislature has ratified a contentious work legislation that permits extended-length working days, in the face of strong opposition and nationwide protests.

Government officials asserted the measure will modernize Greek work laws, but critics from the left-wing faction described it as a "regulatory disaster."

Main Provisions of the Recently Passed Work Legislation

Under the freshly approved legislation, annual overtime is capped at 150 hours, while the regular forty-hour week stays unchanged.

The government insists that the longer shift is elective, solely applies to the business sector, and can only be used for up to 37 days each year.

Parliamentary Backing and Opposition

Thursday's ballot was backed by lawmakers from the ruling conservative political group, with the moderate party – currently the primary resistance – rejecting the bill, while the progressive group abstained.

Worker organizations have staged multiple protests calling for the bill's withdrawal recently that brought public transport and public services to a standstill.

Official Defense and Worker Protections

The Labor Minister defended the bill, stating the reforms bring in line Greek legislation with modern labor-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misinforming the public.

The laws will provide employees the choice to accept additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for declining overtime.

This complies with European Union labor regulations, which cap the average week to 48 hours including extra hours but allow flexibility over 12 months, according to the government.

Opposition Viewpoints and Union Reactions

But, critics have accused the government of weakening employee protections and "driving the nation back to a labor middle age." They argue Greek employees already put in more time than most Europeans while receiving lower pay and still "struggle to make ends meet."

A major labor organization stated flexible working hours in reality mean "the end of the standard workday, the destruction of family and social life and the authorization of excessive labor."

Previous Labor Changes and Economic Context

Last year, Greece enacted a six-day work schedule for specific sectors in a attempt to boost the economy.

New legislation, which started at the start of July, allow workers to labor up to 48 hours in a week as instead of 40.

European Work Data and National Financial Metrics

• Across the European Union in the previous year, the highest working weeks were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria, Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
• The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands, according to EU statistics.
• As of January 2025, the nation's national minimum wage was nine hundred sixty-eight euros a month, placing it in the bottom group among EU countries.
• Joblessness, which had peaked at 28% during the economic downturn, was eight point one percent in August versus an European mean of 5.9%, data from Eurostat indicate.
• Greece is improving since its decade-long financial troubles, which ended in 2018, but wages and quality of life remain among the lowest in the European Union.